Sam looked down and adjusted the silver crest engraved with a wide horseshoe and theBRRof the ranch logo. He shrugged. “Eh, why not.”
“You look good. And don’t worry. She’s into you. I saw the way she was looking at you today. Just treat her right.”
“That’s the plan. Is this allyouhave planned? Hot night at Claim Jumpers?”
“Is this all you have planned?” Zach chuckled.
“She just told me she was interested last night. This is your fiancée, my guy.”
“My fiancée has been back and forth between LA, New York, and Paris for the greater part of the last two years, so if she wants to go to Claim Jumpers on Valentine’s Day, we’re going to Claim Jumpers on Valentine’s Day.”
“And then?” Sam knew his brother. Ever since he and Evie had gotten together he’d gone out of his way to make every moment of their relationship special. There was no way a trip to Evie’s favorite bar was the end of his plans. Zach turned his head and nodded toward his kitchen island. There was an expertly wrapped gift and a bouquet of roses.
“What is it?” Sam asked.
“Tiffany necklace she’s been eyeing for a while. Last time I was in the city with her we walked by and she mentioned she’d wanted it for a long time, but she’d been too responsible with her money.”
“But now you got money to burn, huh?” Sam laughed.
“You know I’m flush with cash,” Zach replied before his expression sobered a bit. He turned back to the mirror so he could give himself one final look. “She didn’t have to give me a second chance and she definitely didn’t have to agree to marry me. Whatever Buck wants, she gets.”
“I get it, I get it. You’re in love,” Sam chuckled.
“You damn straight! We’re spending the night at the Yangs’ bed-and-breakfast.” Their family friends ran a small produce farm a few miles down the road and offered quaint one-room cabins surrounding their farmhouse, enough to accommodate a half dozen guests. Sam had never spent the night there, but he’d known the Yangs forever and had stopped by on the way home from many a rodeo for donuts and cider. It would be a nice, local place to reconnect away from the ranch and Pleasant Lane. Thoughts of his own sleeping arrangements had him contemplating how Amanda wanted things to go between them after they left the bar.
“You really think Miss Leona is spending a night in with the girls?” he asked.
“Why? What do you know? And if it’s some real juicy shit, please don’t tell Jesse.”
“Yeah, I’m not crazy. She mentioned last weekend that she was seeing someone. She said Jesse scared off the previous guy. You know Mig and them are her ride-or-dies. They’ll cover for her.”
“Well, good for her.” Zach turned around and sighed. “We gotta talk to him.”
“Yeah.”
“Like, I get it. I don’t want to think about our elderly grandmother mugging down either, but she’s only getting older and Granddad’s been gone for a long time. If she wants a boyfriend, he needs to get out of the way and let the woman live her life. She deserves to be happy.”
“Yeah, she does. Even if she just wants to date around for kicks. Jesse doesn’t have a say. How’s Monday night?”
“Yeah. Let’s sit him down.”
“Okay. I’m gonna go get Amanda. We’ll meet you over there.”
“Sounds good.”
Sam grabbed his coat and his white Stetson off Zach’s coatrack by the door and headed out to his car with Zach close behind him. Zach crossed the cul-de-sac and went to grab Evie from Miss Leona’s. Real official date-like.
As he drove back to the ranch Sam wondered if he should make a detour and get Amanda a present. After about ten seconds he decided against it. Not ’cause he didn’t want to spoil her, but he was trying to listen. He was trying to pay attention. He’d taken care of her whole weekend at the ranch. The spa package included. She was hesitant to take him up on it and she’d been overwhelmed by their invitation to brunch. A gift on their first date might be a little much. He glanced at the envelope beside him in the passenger seat. It would have to be enough, even if it wasn’t from him.
He pulled up to the front of the lodge and parked his car just beyond the valet stand. He grabbed the envelope and stepped back out into the cool night. A sudden thrill rushed through him and settled in his chest as he greeted Naomi at the desk and made his way through the lobby. It had been so long since he’d started something new. Even longer since he’d been excited about someone new.
He’d enjoyed his time with Natalie, but looking back most of that attraction had been based on Natalie’s sensuality. It was intoxicating and Sam mistook that for a real connection. It wasn’t until she’d dropped the idea of getting married—in front of her parents—before they’d even had a real conversation about their own futures, let alone their future together. Sam knew then that it wasn’t in the cards for them.
Things were different with Amanda. There was something about her and it wasn’t that she’d somehow won Majesty over with no effort at all. Well, not just that.
Sam arrived at her door, smoothing his shirt and tie before he knocked.
“One second,” Amanda called out. A moment later the door swung open and Amanda stepped forward, a bright smile spreading across her gorgeous face. She was wearing a simple white T-shirt that hugged her large breasts under an open camel-colored cardigan that almost went to the floor. She finished off the look with skintight jeans stretched across her ample thighs and those ice blue Converse. She had on some gloss that made him want to kiss the hell out of her, and her braids were twisted up in a bun on top of her head. She looked great.